Hamlet Essay Revision

     J.L. Austin's theory of performativity explains how certain language does not merely describe action, but it acts in being spoken. Performative Utterances have a big impact on Shakespeare's play Hamlet. It adds a level of suspense and also gives insight to the characters. Hamlet appears to be very indecisive and unsure for the majority of the play.  When Hamlet is talking to the ghost of his dead father, he realizes that his father was murdered and promises to get revenge. By promising revenge Hamlet has made a fact in the world through his words. You can also infer that his words will be followed by actions. Using Austin's theory of Performativity, we are able to see another side of Hamlet completely; his thought life.
     When reading "The Performative Utterance in William Shakespeare's Hamlet" by Fredrik deBoer, I disagreed with some of the points he made. He said Hamlet was "unable to move that duty from the mental to the real." I don't think Hamlet couldn't act, I just thought he was being cautious. There is no doubt that his motive throughout the entire play was to kill Claudius. It might have seemed like Hamlet was hesitating but I viewed it as, 'why do something if you don't do it right?' I don't think Hamlet was all talk and no action. He seemed completely capable of killing Claudius. We see with Polonius, if Hamlet was given the right opportunity he would not hesitate to kill!
     Hamlet has a lot of power in his words. An example of this is his faked madness. Hamlet created a situation where he was able to persuade and convince the people around him because they thought he was crazy. Hamlet's speeches relate to Harold Bloom's idea of "self overhearing". It allows us to gain an understanding of Hamlet's inner most thoughts. We see how Hamlet reflects on the past and how that can affect the future, which is one way to describe learning. By memorizing Hamlet's "to be or not to be" soliloquy, I was able to gain a better understanding of Hamlet's current state of mind and the play in general. It showed me how much depth Hamlet actually had and made me look at his character in a different way.
     In relation to the "self overhearing", I think when you take the time  to reflect on your past experiences, you create a memory. You remember how you felt in that situation and almost automatically create a sense of expectation for the future. An example of this that comes to mind is a first date. I know girls that remember practically every detail and are already planning the future relationship in no time. When in reality the couple might break up within a few months. The real world results is the outcome you get after mistakes and unexpected experiences come into play.
     The fact of telling yourself something creates not only an expectation but a fact. Which makes me wonder, do you think and achieve differently because of what you told yourself? I think you do because your giving yourself a standard. Your creating a goal and that becomes your main focus and driving force. Just like in Hamlet, his main goal throughout the whole story was getting revenge on Claudius. It was the driving force and it all stems back to that promise he made to his father's ghost. By Hamlet setting a goal for himself, it kept him more on track and focused.